This is a mindset we are encouraging in all of our students. Question everything… There is some incredible information out there, but also some terrible ideas and advice. We need to be smart and thorough when it comes to researching our preparedness measures.

We also want to encourage you to move forwards as much as you can with your preparedness plans. We mentioned earlier this year that world events were declining more, and these past weeks have further reinforced that viewpoint.

Hmmmm. Got some skills to “sharpen” – forgotten a lot since SERE school 40+ years ago. Thanks, Toby.

As an aside, the instructor that taught the use of survival knives (i.e. how to kill people with them), looked, sounded, and acted like Don Rickles – literally had us falling off our chairs laughing in a course that otherwise is anything but a laughing matter.

I like what Michael Janich teaches about defensive use of a knife. Cutting the large muscle groups and ligaments to stop an attacker. It falls in line with historic battle techniques using edged weapons. Of course if you have a sword that task is a bit easier.

A good point in the article re: surviving knife wounds. Will your self to live. Bushrat often tells me that many people die of insignificant gunshot wounds because they see people die of them in the movies, “so it must be true”. Fight and survive…with all you’ve got.

I think even extra large humans impaled in the stomach area with a cold steel boer spear will die quicker than they imagine. Slashers don’t seem to win against handguns very often but like the excitement of the chase. Shankers win by getting in close. Philosophical differences, I guess.

If you look at the pictures of the knife attacks that generally fail, the greatest determination of survival is location, time and treatment.

If you are cut in a non vital area, you will likely survive.
However, that blade transects something vital like a major artery and you’re stuck.
Slashing cuts are highly dependent upon hitting nerves, joints and arteries.
But they are slow.
The old “death of a thousand cuts” comes to mind, slow and painful.

Stabbing, or sticking is a different matter, again unless something vital is hit, slow and painful. Some of the worst stabbing wounds come when the offender uses a sewing machine stitch style, especially on the neck/carotid area.
This generally requires a smaller knife.

You will note that most knife fighting cultures favor a large knife, the Gaucho’s for example and the methods used to lop-off fingers, hands, and the like by targeting the joints. The larger knife gives you distance, like a spear. And distance is your friend.

A knife in slashing is ok need longer and heavier blades to do major damage (cut off limbs) stabbing is far more effective … in a close quarters with hand weapons goes to fastest guy…. using a axe or a hammer (trenching tool) is far more devastating it is rarely a one stab kill, it is about immobilization a hit with axe or hammer wrecks the limb stab not always most first hits are to limbs to get out of way or past to the soft points. Against a skilled fighter as whirl suggested distance is your friend, fighting close is a game of millimeters. a miss is just that, deflection is best done just to miss allowing for a block to become a strike too hard too large a movement leaves you open for a quick counter knife fights unless you get a surprise attack it is a retaliation fight. The people will feint to get an over commit and attack the opening in a equal confrontation. Most attackers will stop once one limb is crippled let alone two giving you an option to leave without risking another attack by the attacker, though their voice still works.

knife attacks fail due unskilled and people who are all talk/ threaten. dont rely on getting help to hospital as a savior. if you have time to prep for a knife fight wrap coat, shirt, newspaper what ever around off hand fore arm and knife in the dominant hand it gives you some protection for the unavoidable lacerations from this type of fighting. If it happens fight dirty to win not a game … hand full of dirt or spit to eyes works. Also dont forget you have feet and so do they, kick them if you can, shot to the testicles is a fight ender for 99% of guys

The points he shows are good info but does not do reality not many times you can creep and do a brachial stab unless a surprise while doing a helmet/ chin grab from behind.. great in movies not so much in real life

unless you have years to train get good at a one handed weapon as most can not process two one handed weapons fighting most of those who do go through a systematic style with set attacks and responses

To see how tough it is to actually cut flesh get some pork belly and try stabbing and slashing it not as easy as most think.